The West Bank and Gaza are Palestinian territories that have been
occupied by Israel since 1967. Gaza's borders have been completely sealed off;
neither goods nor people can come or go since its election a few years ago of
Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel as a sovereign nation. This fuels continued
sporadic fighting between the two sides. Exactly one year ago Israel's attack
on Gaza resulted in devastating loss of civilian lives and damage to infrastructure.

The West Bank, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority,
recognizes Israel through its attempt to reach a peace agreement, but still
suffers land loss. B'tselem, an Israeli monitoring organization, reports that
from 1967-2007 Israel established 121 settlements and at least 100 outposts
in the West Bank. Israel rejects the UN's position that taking land for "settlements"
or "outposts" is in violation of international law, based on the 4th
Geneva Convention. Israel's military guards the settlements and the Gaza border.
In June 2002, Israel began the construction of a physical barrier, separating
itself from the West Bank to prevent Palestinian entry into Israel. Referred
to as "The Wall," this barrier often cuts into Palestinian land and
can separate a family from their orchard or fields.